What's Really Important
by MadHatter524
Summary: The three Black sisters Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa get into an argument about Rodolphus Lestrange and what is really important in marriage. Written for Round 3 of Bookwormlovesharrypotter's Marauder Challenge. One-shot.


**A/N: Written for Round 3 of Bookwormlovesharrypotter's Marauder Challenge. The requirements for this round were that it had to include all three of the Black sisters, one genre had to be hurt/comfort, and it had to use the words "I hate him". Enjoy!**

"Bella, how can you stand being around him so much? I hate him!"

It was early April, and the three Black sisters were sitting in the Slytherin Common Room after yet another of Hogwarts's wonderful dinners. Second-year Narcissa was talking about Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix's current boyfriend.

"Honestly, Cissy, he's not all that bad once you get to know him." It wasn't sixth-year Bellatrix, but their sister Andromeda who had come to Rodolphus's defense. Andromeda was a fourth year, and was used to being a peacemaker in her sisters' frequent arguments.

Narcissa made a face at both of them. "But he doesn't even _want_ to get to know me! He hates me!"

Bellatrix sighed impatiently at her sister's stubborness. "That's because he's five years older than you are, Cissy. He's too mature to be friends with anyone who's your age. You're just too young for him to care about you." A look from Andromeda told her that these were not the best words to say to Narcissa, but Bellatrix didn't care. If her baby sister didn't like her boyfriend, then that was her problem, not Bellatrix's.

Andromeda sighed. "He doesn't _hate_ you, Cissy," she said comfortingly. "He just…doesn't talk to younger students a lot. That's all."

"But Bella, you don't even like him!" Narcissa accused, ignoring her other sister's words.

"And how could you possibly know what my feelings are?" Bellatrix asked, daring Narcissa to even try to prove something.

"Well," Narcissa said, counting things off on her fingers, "You always make these weird faces when he's around you, _and _you try to avoid talking to him. Whenever he tries to hold your hand or put his arm around you, you pull away like he's got the plague or something. When you're sitting next to each other at dinner, you sit as far away as possible without sitting on somebody else's lap. It's nothing like what that Hufflepuff Ted Tonks acts like when he's around Dromeda."

Andromeda gaped at her sister in disbelief. "Cissy! He's a Mudblood! What exactly are you trying to say about me?" she questioned threateningly.

Narcissa shrugged, thinking the implications about her sister and a Mudblood unimportant compared to her hatred of Lestrange. "I never said anything about _you_, just about Tonks," she added defensively.

"Who cares about stupid Tonks?" Bellatrix asked, annoyed by the direction that the conversation was heading in. "At least Lestrange is a seventh year and he's not in my classes," she muttered.

"See?" Narcissa said smugly. "You _don't_ like him. And you're still calling him by his last name, even though you two have been dating for five and a half months."

"It doesn't even matter whether I like him or not, Cissy," Bellatrix said impatiently. "He's pureblood, he's a Slytherin, and he's _rich._ His family's got a vault in Gringotts that's twice the size of this room, and full to the brim with Galleons and golden goblets and so much more, enough to satisfy fifty kings. There are more important things than in life and in a relationship than love, Cissy. You'll understand when you're older."

Narcissa sighed. "That's what you say about _everything_, Bella. Why can't I understand it now?"

Bellatrix shrugged. "Dromeda knows I'm right." Andromeda hesitated for only a fraction of a second before nodding in agreement.

"You're really going to get married to someone you don't love?" Narcissa asked incredulously.

"Who said anything about marrying Lestrange?" Bellatrix asked, sounding almost revolted at the idea. "But yeah, I would, if it meant money and blood purity. That's what really matters in a marriage, if we're going to keep a pureblood line and not shame anyone in The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. You need to give up those stupid fairy tale fantasies about love and learn what's really important, Cissy, before you make some kind of stupid mistake. And if you do make a mistake and Mummy disowns you or something...well, just don't say that I didn't warn you." With that, Bellatrix stormed off to her dormitory.

"Now Bella hates me too," Narcissa pouted when Bellatrix was out of earshot.

Andromeda sat next to her younger sister. "Bella doesn't hate you," she insisted. "She might not be nice all the time, but that doesn't mean that she hates you."

"If she doesn't hate me, then why does she act like she does?" Narcissa asked. "Is it because of that new group of people she's with most of the time? They were using Dark Magic on people, and it was just for fun. They were laughing about it. That's not nice."

Andromeda sighed. "Maybe not, but you and Bella are different. You won't always get along," she tried to explain.

"You'll always be here for me, though. Right, Dromeda?" Narcissa asked.

Andromeda smiled. "Of course I will."


End file.
